Thread of Love

by Kabir Sehgal, Surishtha Sehgal, Zara Gonzalez Hoang (Illustrator)

Overview

Three siblings enjoy the Indian festival of Raksha Bandhan—a celebration of the special relationship between brothers and sisters—in this vibrant reinterpretation of the classic song Frère Jacques (Are You Sleeping) from New York Times bestselling mother/son duo Surishtha Sehgal and Kabir Sehgal.

It’s time for the Indian festival of Raksha Bandhan, the celebration of the special lifelong relationship shared by brothers and sisters everywhere. Join two sisters as they lovingly make rakhi—thread bracelets adorned with beads, sequins, sparkles, and tassels—for their brother. And then see their brother present them with toys and sweets and special gifts!

New York Times bestselling authors Surishtha and Kabir Sehgals’ irresistible text, set to the tune of the classic song Frère Jacques (Are You Sleeping), will have little ones singing along while they learn about Indian culture. And the vibrant illustrations by Zara Gonzalez Hoang will have readers wishing they could step right into the characters’ colorful crafting world.

This enchanting picture book includes instructions for making rakhi!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534404731
Publisher:	Beach Lane Books
Publication date:	10/16/2018
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	180,441
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.40(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Kabir Sehgal started his class newspaper in second grade and has been writing ever since. A bestselling author of several books, he is also a jazz bassist and Grammy Award–winning producer. He lives in New York City.

Surishtha Sehgal was a university professor for many years and now enjoys reading to children during story time. She is the founder of a nonprofit organization that promotes social responsibility among students, and she serves on the boards of two universities and a national arts center. She lives in Atlanta.

Zara Gonzalez Hoang grew up in south Minneapolis and spent her childhood doodling and listening to the colorful stories her dad told about growing up in Puerto Rico and New York. She attended UW-Madison and then worked in advertising doing interactive design at a variety of agencies for a number of years before transitioning into doing more illustration. She lives in Washington, DC, in a quirky mid-century modern house with a magical forest in the back. Thread of Love is her first picture book.

Editorial Reviews

2018-06-25
To the tune of "Frère Jacques," the book showcases Raksha Bandhan, a festival in northern India that celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters.Two sisters busy themselves making a rakhi (the titular thread of love) and tying it to their brother. In return, their brother gives them a gift and some chum-chum (an Indian sweet). The book ends with a heartwarming spread showcasing family, friends, and neighbors around the world being bound by this thread of love. While obviously enjoyable for storytimes, the cadence of the song with these lyrics can be a bit challenging, and some poetic license has been taken with the wording, possibly to meet the meter. "Sister Kashi, Sister Kashi," reads the text, "meri ban, meri ban." The phrase "meri ban" is translated in the glossary as "my sister," with an addendum that "behan" is "an alternate spelling"; many speakers of Hindi may well feel that "behan" is the standard rendering and "ban" an unfamiliar variation. Debut illustrator Hoang's illustrations are infused with persimmon, magenta, and lime green. The children's faces are disproportionately large, and they wear only traditional Indian garb. The backdrops indicate an Indian setting, with words in Hindi on shops and a cricket poster in the brother's bedroom. Although the concluding map includes children likely of the Indian diaspora, it's a shame the story itself is so visually limiting. The book ends with helpful instructions for making a rakhi.Despite some shortcomings, the book carries the day on showcasing the beautiful traditions of Raksha Bandhan. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews